Well, I know it was only recently that I said that chapter 17 would roughly be the end of this arc. But that may be a chapter or two earlier, due to the fact that I fit more last chapter than I had anticipated I would. That is in part due to the fact that no other ending worked, and in part due to the fact that I would have likely driven a great many of you crazy if I didn't bring closure to chapter 11's cliffhanger.
This chapter will either be really good, or absolutely dreadful, depending on how critical you are of the public's reception to Lelouch being Zero. I won't comment, but you should have a good idea of what I mean. That will be the focal point of this chapter, at any rate.
Anyway, I don't want to reveal too much (though you'll find out soon anyway). Enjoy!
The sparks of change made by Lelouch Vi Britannia's decision to reveal himself had caused quite a few unpredicted events to occur.
In Area 11, a certain Student Council was devoid of any happiness.
In the EU, ceasefires with Britannia were made official to allow the development to settle.
Britannian citizens worldwide demanded answers from the nobles for their prince's betrayal, going as far as to take to arms to get the answers.
And in the Britannia Palace, Charles Di Britannia was actually smiling.
"He's growing up, Charles," a boy of seemingly no more than ten stated, a smirk on his face. He had blond hair that reached the floor – as well as two sets that came down on either side of his face in much the same way – and purple eyes far more vibrant than those of the emperor. He was dressed in a noble outfit of white with golden lining down the middle, as well as blue at the collar and at his ankles. Over that was a black cape of sorts that covered his back and folded around his arms, folded around the neck to reveal a purple on the inside.
"Indeed he is," Charles responded, his smile fading although the delight remained on his face still. "He is fighting the lies he has created."
"Shall I continue to spy on him?" the boy asked, a bored expression visible in his lidded eyes despite the smirk his lips were curved into.
Before Charles could answer, the doors to the room opened, and Villeta and Kewell walked in, carrying themselves mightily. "Your Highness," Villeta said respectfully, dropping to one knee some distance from the throne. After a moment she lifted her head, regarding the young boy. "...Master V.V., are we ready?" her disapproval of the young boy was evident to both V.V. and Charles, despite how hard she tried to mask it.
"You shall continue to spy on Lelouch," Charles' voice was loud and commanding, and few could keep their cool in such a situation. Villeta and Kewell were part of that few. Their resolve didn't waver, and both nodded immediately as he spoke. "I think you know what to do to get at my son."
V.V. nodded a wordless agreement, turning on his heel with Kewell and Villeta in tow. "A prince betraying his country..." Kewell sighed, shaking his head. "We'll take care of it, Your Highness."
o--o
"So Zero is a Britannian prince... such irony," Xingke sighed, shaking his head. "Do not listen to him! He is spreading lies to confuse us! Press the attack!"
Xingke spurred forward, once again intent on attacking the Hakumei. C.C. dodged around the attack, gaining some distance before firing off her Fukushahado cannon. Try as he might dodging was impossible, and the Shenhu was sent spiraling toward the ground, finally managing to gain enough force to stop just inches from a Gun-Ru below. On-screen reports showed extensive damage to the Baryon cannon, however, and Xingke let a growl escape from the back of his throat.
"Sir!" a soldier cried, his breathing heavy from what could have been either joy or terror; Xingke couldn't be sure. "Reinforcements are approaching. Two... no, three hundred of them! Gun-Ru... they're allies!"
Xingke was skeptical to say the least. The Chinese Federation did in fact have the resources to spare such a force, but the High Eunuchs were very much against lending the aid to Xingke. "If you can't win without them, you aren't worthy of being in the service of the Tianzi," they had said. And so, Xingke ignored this new development, keeping a close eye on his radar as he charged at the Hakumei once again.
"Wait..." the soldier groaned, perplexed. "There's twenty Burai as well?" that made Xingke pause. Burai with Gun-Ru? That could only mean...
"Zero is right," Xingke sighed, pulling away. "All forces, stand down!"
The soldiers below blinked in confusion, some even continuing their fights for several minutes before the order truly struck them. None were particularly happy with the prospect of ending the fighting after so many allies had been lost, but they dared not disobey an order from such an imposing man as Li Xingke.
Live to fight another day, as they say.
o--o
"Zero is a prince of Britannia?!"
"Britannia is trying to take us out from the inside!"
"Kill Zero!"
Lelouch ran a hand down his face as he watched his men thrash about before him, broken by the revelation before them. He had expected nothing less, of course, but it was still bothersome. Nunnally was in front of him, still out cold from shock. Karen and Todo were amongst the troops trying to soothe them, and Suzaku was standing by Lelouch, a hand rested comfortingly on his shoulder.
"You expected this, didn't you?" Suzaku asked, tightening his grip on Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch winced for a moment before he realized it was in a friendly and caring manner, and he ignored the slight pain.
"I did," Lelouch admitted, nodding. "What did you tell Nunnally before you took her?"
"She asked me if I knew what was wrong with you," Suzaku sighed, shaking his head. "Sayoko didn't do as well as we thought she would, and Nunnally was worried. So I told her I'd explain if she came with me. As soon as she felt herself being lifted into the Lancelot's hand, she passed out."
"If we can win over everyone, our fight will be much easier," Lelouch nodded. "But with or without them, I won't waver. I will find a way to make my dreams reality, with or without the Order of the Black Knights."
Suzaku said nothing, but he smiled widely as he heard this. Lelouch was indeed an ally of the people, to have such strong convictions. Like any commander he made rather harsh decisions at times, and many lives were being lost along the way. But this path had told Suzaku something: hoping to change the world without shedding blood was a hopeless endeavor, and Lelouch had both come to terms with that and found a way that minimized unnecessary losses.
Both watched on as the battle for acceptance waged on. Karen had been temporarily put out of comission and Diethard – who had grinned widely and been delighted the moment he saw Lelouch's face beneath Zero's mask – had taken her off to the side with Ogi, who had taken the better path of postponing judgment until he heard an explanation.
And that is exactly what Lelouch planned to give.
As Diethard returned, camera in hand and ready to record as soon as his lord gave him the reply, Lelouch said, his voice loud and commanding as ever, "Silence."
All quarreling stopped immediately and Lelouch smiled a bitter smile, giving Diethard a wave of the hand that gave him the okay to begin recording, "I am Zero. I am Lelouch Lamperouge. And I am Lelouch Vi Britannia, son of our enemy, Charles Di Britannia," he started, waving an arm to the side in the same fashion he had during many of his speeches beneath Zero's masks.
"You're a liar is what you are!" Tamaki growled, shaking a fist.
"You planned to break the spirit of the Japanese!" another growled out, fingering a pistol at his side. "You planned to sell us out to Britannia!"
"I am a liar," Lelouch admitted without hesitation, undaunted by the growing anger in the eyes of the Black Knights. "But I have lied with Japan's best interests in mind."
"What are you talking about?" Ogi asked, stepping forth.
"Yeah!" Tamaki added, eyes all but burning with rage. "Why should we believe a kid?!"
"Your ace, Karen Kozuki, is a child no older than myself. She is the finest we have, and she is the same age as myself. Your prime minister's son, Suzaku Kururugi, is my best friend and close confidant. Both are essential in our fight for liberation. Should age matter?" Lelouch responded, smiling a slightly more calm smile. Tamaki backed down instantly.
"You didn't answer my question," Ogi pointed out, frowning.
"Tell me, Ogi. No, all of you," Lelouch spread his arms wide, as if accepting a child into his embrace. "Would you have listened to me? Would you have left your fate to me, were I to show myself to you as your enemy's son?" Lelouch paused for a moment, knowing nobody would reply. "You would not. Social barriers would lead you to believe I mean to harm you. But I do not."
"And why should we believe you?" Nagisa asked through gritted teeth.
"Britannia has stolen the same thing from the both of us," Lelouch replied, frowning. "Our names."
Diethard was loving every minute of spreading this across the world. A grin was permanently plastered to his face, and he kept the camera fixed at such an angle that it showed both the mass of disgruntled knights and their unmasked leader.
"Your name?" Nagisa asked, narrowing her eyes. "They took our freedom. They took our rights! And you say they took the same thing?!"
"They killed my mother," Lelouch growled, momentarily losing his cool. "She was assassinated by people who were jealous of her for being a commoner. They crippled and blinded my sister, and sent me to your prime minister to deceive him long enough to prepare an invasion. I lost my father's name. I lost my mother. I was forced into hiding to protect my sister. Tell me, do you believe I would aid a country that did that?"
Nagisa promptly shut up, at a sudden loss for words. One by one, the Black Knights had begun to accept Lelouch all around her, and she was being swayed as well. Was following a Britannian prince so wrong, so long as he was with them? She was starting to doubt her previous thought.
"I refuse to accept it! I refuse to follow the son of my enemy!" Tamaki growled, turning away with a huff. "I'm out of here."
"Can you win without me?" Lelouch asked, his well known cockiness returning. "Tell me, can you win without my aid? I may be a prince, but I am willing to fight with you. I am willing to create a better world. Would you deny me for my prince hood? Shun me for the blood that runs in my veins?" Lelouch smirked as Tamaki stopped, and all eyes that were previously on him returned to Lelouch. "I have lied to you. I have deceived you into fighting for me without your full acceptance. Even so, will you lend me your strength? Will you fight for Japan under the guidance of a scorned Britannian prince?"
His reward was hesitant words of approval showing the skepticism they had to offer, save for Tamaki who simply gave a scornful nod and the Shisei-ken who were far more composed about their acceptance. Lelouch smiled slightly as he watched it all, lifting his mask high into the air, "This is a symbol! It is a face that people look to for hope! For guidance! But to me, it was an excuse to lie. An excuse to manipulate. Let us cast it aside, and continue the battle!"
More cheers followed as he tossed the mask over his head. C.C. entered the room at that moment, catching it easily in her arms. She was surprised to see the sight before her, to say the least. But she was glad as well. "Marianne, your boy is growing up," she whispered inaudibly to herself, a small smile gracing her features.
o--o
An audience was secured to discuss matters between the Tianzi loyalists under Li Xingke and the Order of the Black Knights under myself. Li Xingke truly was a prodigy; a man excelling in battle, tactics, and everything between. A man that the Black Knights could make much use of in times to come. But his ability in diplomacy made arranging that rather difficult.
In the end, common ground was found. India was granted it's independence and their forces retreated, satisfied with what they had gained. The Order of the Black Knights were given recognizable control over Kainan Island for our own uses, and an alliance was formed with the Chinese Federation. Our forces combined to pursue common ends, and the Anti-Britannian Front was created, under the joint leadership of Li Xingke and myself.
But things weren't all uphill.
Huang Qian had managed to escape Diethard's judgment – and he had failed to tell me so – and gathered all those loyal to the Eunuchs, effectively dividing the Chinese Federation in two. Where we controlled more land and had more resources, they had more sheer force. And they were also the first target of the Anti-Britannian Front.
War hadn't seen it's end in the Chinese Federation just yet.
But like all great wars, they always had new toys ready to be revealed at the beginning. The second pacific war had the Knightmare Frame, and now the war in the Chinese Federation would have a weapon far beyond Britannia's technology into the area.
The new flagship of the new Order of the Black Knights, the Hogosha.
o--o
"Amazing!" Karen gasped, looking in shock at the massive airship in front of her.
"This is..." Suzaku tried, equally impressed by the airship Lelouch had secured.
"The new flagship of the remade Order of the Black Knights, the Hogosha," Lelouch explained with a smile. The airship was nearly two hundred meters in length, completely black save for a silver underside on each of the four wings of the airship, two on each side. The Black Knights symbol was on each wing as well as at the head of the airship, where there was also two barely visible green orbs. A number of guns were attached all over the ship, and two long barrel cannons were attatched to the underside, on either side of the head. Between the cannons was a linear catapult, and above the main body was another area that served as both the command center and as an observation deck.
"It's got a Japanese name," Suzaku remarked, looking at Lelouch. "You aren't hoping something like this will lay their insecurities to rest, are you?"
"No," Lelouch replied immediately, shaking his head. "The Order of the Black Knights are still a Japanese organization, whether we accept others or not," he walked away from the airship toward where Knightmare Frames were being unloaded from their to-be-abandoned G-1 bases and transported onto the Hogosha. "Their trust is something I will need to earn."
Lelouch's Gloucester was the next to be unloaded, along the the Guren Nishiki and the Hakumei. Suzaku had already personally loaded the Lancelot, making sure mechanics were briefed on how to take care of it. Lelouch had already mentioned that expecting the kind of service Lloyd was capable of providing for the Lancelot was pointless, but what they could do was acceptable all the same. In fact, some of Rakshata's engineers – which Lloyd certainly had no access to – were beginning investigations on improvements that could be made on the Frame.
Not that Suzaku believed such a Frame could be improved upon.
Three hours later, the Hogosha was making it's first official launch as the flagship of the Order of the Black Knights. The people of Kainan Island waved frantically as they bid their farewells, and some of the less resolute soldiers amongst the Black Knights shed tears at the sight. Lelouch shed none, of course, but he did seem glad they were so happy.
"We've done good work here," Suzaku soothed, patting Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch looked over his shoulder, nodding and smiling.
"Don't dwell on the good deeds, however," Lelouch turned away, his smile fading as he began to leave the room – surely to return to C.C.'s side, as he often did when in such a mood, Suzaku thought. "It will make it more painful for you when we have to make the harder decisions."
Suzaku turned to look at Lelouch, worry clearly evident in his eyes. Lelouch seemed to take no note of that worry as he stared at Suzaku however, and said with a grim smile on his face, "Such a time will come."
o--o
The Student Council found themselves with little to do yet again. With the sudden absence of Lelouch and now Nunnally as well, many plans they'd had were put off to the side due to the lack of aid from their Vice-President. Lelouch had been acting strangely as of late, and now he'd simply disappeared from the face of the earth. Nunnally followed suit shortly after, and only one thing was for sure.
One or both of them had something to hide.
"Hey!" Milly broke out of her trance and looked over at the offending set of lips belonging to her orange haired friend Shirley. Shirley was gaping as she looked at the television, pointing dumbly at it, "Isn't that the guy working for Zero..." she trailed off, tapping her finger to her cheek as she tried to recall his name.
"Diethard Ried," Milly finished, raising an eyebrow. "What about him?"
"Didn't your father have his broadcast banned throughout Ashford because of him being a wanted criminal?" Shirley asked, looking over at Milly quizzically.
Milly shrugged, "He allowed it again recently. Apparently Zero's work in the Chinese Federation has been more... 'noble than that of your typical terrorist', he said," Milly used her fore and middle fingers as quotations for emphasis, shaking her head. "He's still a criminal, the way I see it."
"Shh!" Rivalz hissed, directing toward the TV.
Diethard sat in a dimly lit room, smiling widely as he spoke to someone off set about something or another. When he directed his focus back to the camera, he smiled wider still, saying, "Britannian citizens have been in an uproar as of late, with the latest ultimatum delivered by the world's savior, Zero. People have risen in protest, demanding answers regarding the publicized release of Zero's meeting with his supporters earlier today, after a large conflict with the divided Chinese Federation forces outside Zhanjiang was abruptly called to a halt."
Shirley and Milly looked to eachother, reasonably interested in this. "Something that made citizens protest?" Milly asked in a hushed whisper, raising her eyebrows.
Rivalz shot a look in the direction of both girls, and they rolled their eyes in sync before erupting into hushed laughter, earning them a full glare from the enraptured student.
The screen faded to a clearly recorded video where it showed a mass – thousands, if not tens of thousands – of soldiers standing, each looking enraged beyond belief. Everyone watched on as a strangely familiar voice began speaking, and then the camera changed angle to show not only the mass of Black Knights, but their unmasked leader as well. Shirley stared dumbfounded at the screen, not quite comprehending what she was seeing. "Is that...?" her voice left her, and her slowly widening eyes had by that point widened to the point that it stung slightly.
"...Lelouch," Rivalz finished, his usually cheerful voice replaced with one so stunned it made people flinch. Sure enough, before them was Lelouch, preaching on about how he was a prince betrayed and how his efforts to break down Britannia's Darwinist walls were genuine. With each harsh reprimand toward Britannia he spoke, each of his friends felt another knife stab into them, forced to do nothing more than listen to his painful history.
"That's right," all eyes turned toward the doorway abruptly, where V.V. stood, Kewell and Villeta right behind him. All three strode into the room, the small child in front smirking while the two behind him wore looks of cold indifference. "Your friend, your emperor's son, is a traitor to us all."
"H-he's being lied to, right?" Shirley tried, shaking her head wildly. "He isn't that... type of person..."
"He's someone who weaves lies. He makes you see what he wants you to see, while he's something completely different. The Lelouch you see now," he paused, pointing toward the T.V. where Lelouch was standing in front of slowly accepting Black Knights, swearing his devotion to their cause. "The Lelouch leading the Order of the Black Knights. The Lelouch preparing to slay his own father for revenge... that is his true side. In a world without lies, that is what you see."
o--o
Lelouch and Xingke sat together in the command center of the Hogosha, backs to each other as they took in reports from their own respective subordinates at two different comm stations. While Lelouch dealt with live feeds from Suzaku and Karen as well as a phone call from Todo – who were engaging rebel forces in the provinces of Yunnan, Hunan and Sichuan respectively, Xingke was taking live feeds from Xianglin and Hong Gu who were fighting in different parts of the large Qinghai province.
It had been a long few weeks since the alliance was sealed between the Chinese Federation and the Order of the Black Knights, and now New Years was waiting just around the corner. Lelouch's birthday had come and gone with nothing more than a long talk with Suzaku and a letter someone had delivered him from Nunnally – who was still, to his great displeasure, adverse to speaking to him directly despite being on the same ship as him. Christmas hadn't even been recognized, but Lelouch was glad for that; the younger of his soldiers really didn't need to be distracted by such things.
In fact, the only thing the war weary leader got for Christmas in the year of 2017 was more victory. Battles against the rebels had been a landslide in the favor of the Anti-Britannian Front, and they'd already been reduced to no more than resistance groups without a leader, spread across the provinces surrounding the capital Luo Yang. The last of the Eunuchs' hold on the Federation had been eliminated within the first week of conflict, and the Anti-Britannian Front had gained well over ten thousand in surrendering troops since. Guerilla tactics were the only thing keeping the rebel forces fighting, however.
"Good work, Todo. Remain in Chengdu until I send new orders," Lelouch hung up, placing his phone off to the side and groaning loudly. It had grown tiresome for everyone to continue this fighting, especially when the Japanese amongst the Black Knights were looking forward to retaking Area 11. But this had also provided Lelouch the time he needed to further development projects to make sure everything was ready for their invasion, and so the only ones that really complained were the ones who simply wanted a bone to pick with Lelouch.
Suzaku and Karen's feeds were cut as well a moment later, and Lelouch slumped back in his seat. He ran a slightly chilled hand through his hair, finding it frosted at the tips from the cold air that had enveloped the Hogosha for the past couple weeks. Were it not for the heat they had running through the ship, he would have been shaking within the comfort of a large blanket, he was sure.
He never had liked the cold.
"Hong Gu has captured another four hundred rebels as well as ten more Frames. What's happening on your end?" Xingke swivelled in his chair so he was facing Lelouch who turned enough to see Xingke from the corner of his eye.
"Todo has eliminated the last of the rebel forces in the Sichuan province. Those who surrendered and captives are being transferred to our holding facilities in Chengdu. Karen and Suzaku are running into some trouble, but the rebels' hideouts have been found by our scouts," Xingke gave a brief nod before turning away again.
That was the extent of any of their talks. They would give brief reports on what their own subordinates were doing, acknowledge the information they received, and that would be it. With minds like their's few things needed to be said aloud, and understanding and comprehension usually came with no more than a brief look or – in some cases – complete silence between the two.
The hours continued to drag on in such fashion. Both went on with their own more independant projects; Lelouch going over reports Rakshatta had filed regarding work on the Gun-Ru's successor, the Han-Shu, which was so far looking to be the focal point of their military. The speed capabilities they'd included coupled with it's increased firepower in the form of two shoulder mounted cannons as well as a single right arm with a rifle, added to the fact that the design allowed for it to maintain the Gun-Ru's advantage of being cost friendly made it a force to be reckoned with. Certainly not on par with the advancing technologies of the Black Knights or that of Britannia, but the combination of tactics and sheer numbers was sure to make it more than capable of measuring up to Britannia's forces.
Xingke, meanwhile, was occupying his time doing the opposite; while Lelouch was bolstering their offensive strength, Xingke was working on weakening the defences present in Area 11. Already he had managed to organize several covert attacks on Britannian military bases that were easily masked as upstart terrorists seeking to make a name apart from the one Zero presented – which was easy to do with the recent revelation of Zero being a Britannian prince. More than fifty Knightmare Frames had already either been destroyed or captured, only to be quickly destroyed the moment Britannia recoiled in the case of the latter. But the small hits were taking their tole on Cornelia's forces, and it wouldn't be long before she was forced to send a request for more supplies from the homeland which were already being used almost exclusively by second prince Schneizel in his attacks on the EU.
The Anti-Britannian Front was taking control of the world, bit by bit.
It was nearing midnight when Lelouch finally stood up, stretching his stiffened bones before turning toward the doorway. He said sternly, "Don't let fatigue get to you. We need to be ready to fight," before walking toward the doorway. He stopped mid-step as his phone began to vibrate in his hand, and he answered it immediately, "Hello?"
A minute or so of pure silence and confused glances later, Lelouch shut his phone and pocketed it with an audible growl. He turned on his heel, returning to his comm station and bringing up all feeds he could on demand. "Cancel sleep plans, we've got more important matters."
"Such as?" Xingke asked, having returned to his work, not looking at Lelouch as he asked.
"Avalon is on it's way."
I hope this chapter wasn't too bad.The ending was rather abrupt, but I unintentionally dragged things on a little and I had nothing else that needed writing this chapter. But the ending is okay anyway, and there's a small plus in the fact that it's not exactly a cliffhanger, unlike the past two chapters. Sorry to many if you were expecting more from the Zero's identity issue, but the people's reception of that will be an ongoing thing, much like the bond between Suzaku and Lelouch is (although you can expect the former to receive far more consistent attention).
The Han-Shu, as my more Three Kingdoms aware readers may think, is indeed a reference to the Shu-Han founded by Liu Bei. This was more or less in response to the review from F-14 Tomcat Lover debating that Lelouch in this fic is more like Liu Bei, but it's still fitting at the same time. So if you've noticed the trend, you can probably guess that there's more Three Kingdoms Era references to come. Personally, I would say one way or the either, because I certainly won't throw them in pointlessly.
